Kanehira兼衡

Mino province · active 1583-1592

Hawley reference KAN900
Hawley
15
points — scale 15 (recorded) to 500+ (legendary)

Smith record

EraTensho (1573-1592)
Active period1583-1592
ProvinceMino
Hawley IDKAN900

Recorded signatures (mei)

濃州岐阜住兼衡nōshū gifu ju kanehira

Reading an inscription on a nakago? Try our mei reader and era converter.

About these ratings

Hawley points come from W. M. Hawley's Japanese Swordsmiths (1981), the standard Western reference cataloguing over 12,000 smiths. Most recorded smiths sit at 15–20 points; only a few dozen legendary masters exceed 150.

Fujishiro grades (from Nihon Tōkō Jiten) rank workmanship from Chū saku up to Sai-jō saku, while the Tōkō Taikan valuation (Tokuno, 1977) reflects each smith's relative market standing in yen. Explore more smiths in the searchable swordsmith index.

Own an authentic nihonto

Every blade in our collection is an original antique Japanese sword, sourced in Japan.

Browse swords for sale